'dunnock' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'dunnoc', where 'dun' meant 'dull brown' and '-oc' was a diminutive suffix.

'dunnoc' transformed into the Middle English word 'dunnok', and eventually became the modern English word 'dunnock'.

Initially, it meant 'a small brown bird', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.